Critical thinking involves analyzing data and making judgments about patient conditions, progress, and nursing interventions. Critical thinking forms the basis for quality documentation. As nurses' expertise in critical thinking grows, nurses can record how the unique considerations for each patient guided individual care and resulted in positive outcomes. Emphasizing individual nursing care and patient outcomes from that care helps meet Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards and gives nurses credit for their expertise. Techniques of critical thinking supported by advanced critical care nurses can lead to improved documentation for entire nursing units.